Electrical connector



Patentedsept.` 14, 1948 vELEGTRICAL CONNECTOR Vernon E. Carlson, ShortHills, N. J., asalgnor to Aircraft-Marine Products, Inc., a corporationoi' New Jersey Elisabeth. N. J.,

Application April 3, 1943, No. 481,887

l This invention relates to electrical connectors and, moreparticularly, to4 an improved multiple plug str-ip connector of the typeadapted for connecting together a plurality of electrical conductors. r

Various sorts of plug receptacles, multiple sockets and the like areknown to the prior art. Many of the kinds available come in assorted,sizes and in varying arrangements. They ilnd wide application inautomobiles, air planes, marine craft, signal arid communication work,etc., and, in short, wherever relatively complicated electrical circuitsmay be required. Many of these multiple connectors, however, suffer thedisadvantage that each individual connector is suited to a relativelynarrow field of application. Thus, a multiple receptacle suited, forexample, for use in the instrument panel of a given airplane does notlend itself well in establishing corresponding or similar circuits inthe control Itower of a naval vessel or even inthe instrument s claims.(c1. 11a-ssi) panel of a different airplane. A result is that a greatvariety of multiple socketsland receptacles have, by necessity. comeinto more or less general use.

It has already been proposed and claimed in a copending-application ofStephen N. Buchanan and James 0. Johnson, Serial No. 430,028, iiledFebruary 9,1942, which issued as Patent No.

2,424,966, on August 5, 1947, to make a standard multiple plug connectorof indefinite length, by

which groups of conductors can be connected i together. `These are madeof indefinite length so that any number of groups can be had for anygiven application but are provided with standard group connectors sothat two. four or some other limited number of plugs can beinterconnected in each group.

It is an object of my invention to provide improved multiple electricalconnector means of the general type described and claimed in theapplication of Buchanan and Johnson, aforemen-f cloned, but which will.be more flexible in its adaptation to various uses and variouscircuits. Another object is the provision of continuous strip meanspresenting aseries of receptacles for plug type terminals wherein anyselected number of the receptacles may be interconnected with oneanother at will so that, for example, one electrical conductor may beled to the strip and be branched therefrom'to other terminals connectedinto the receptacles. Another object of the invention is to provide amultiple connector receptacle wherein the several receptacles may thedesired number of electrical conductors may be connected in pairs orgroups of any desired number and may be divided at will into smallergroups or combined into larger groups at any time by a simple operation.Another object is the provision of receptacle means for interconnectingdetachable terminals wherein high electrical conductivity is combinedwith relatively great resilience, whereby good electrical connectionsmaybe maintained throughout and the terminals can be easily inserted andremoved. It is also an object of the invention to provide a structurewherein the vresilience by which good electrical contact is maintainedis not impaired by temporary overload of the current conducting parts.vOther objects will be in partpointed out as the description proceedsand will in part become apparent therefrom.

The multiple electrical connector means described and claimed in thecopcnding application of Stephen N. Buchanan and James O. Johnson,aforementioned, provides an ideal solution to many installation problemsin the electrical eld, especially where space is limited and wherecircuits must be made, broken, tested and/or rearranged rapidly. Thereare manyv instances, however, where it becomes desirable to be able'foconnect a series of electrical conductors intol one main or masterconductor rather than merely to connect one individual conductor toanother individual conductor. I have now found that, by the use of meansin accordance with the invention, it is feasible to make an indeiiniteseries of insulated contact receptacles so that any adjacent receptaclescan be quickly and adequately interconnected into one common multiplecontact member, whereby, for example, one or `more electrical conductorsmay be plugged into the multiple contact member to feed any desirednumber of branch conductors running therefrom. I have also discoveredthat such a device is much more perfect in operation and more secureagainst deterioration by temporary overloads if the functions of currentconduction and mainte-V In this specication and in the accompanyingdrawings, I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention and various modiiications thereof; -but it is to be understood'that 3 these are not intended limiting of the invention, but onthecontrary are given for purposes of Villustration in order that vothersskilled in the art may fully under-` stand the invention and theDliwllles thelwf v reference charactersrefer to corresponding partsthroughout:

Figure 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away and parts in section. ofa piece of multiple connector strip :made in accordance with theApresent invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 2-2 of Figure linthe direction of the arrows;l t

Figure 3 is'a transverse sectional elevation taken along the broken line3-3 of Figure 1 in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bus member forming .a part of theinvention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a contact spring member forming a partof the invention;

Figure 6 isa plan view. partly in section, of a modiied type of multipleconnector strip embodying the invention;

Figure 7 is a sectional viewtaken along the line 'l--l of Figure 6 inthe direction of -the arrows;

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 8 8 ofFigure 6in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a 'bus member used -in theembodimentillustrated in Figure 6; and

` Figure 10 is a perspective view of a' contact spring member used inthe embodiment shown in Figure 6.

Figures 1 and 3 show, respectively, a plan view and a cross-sectionalelevation of a piece from a multiple connector strip embodying theinvention. Referring to Figure 3, an upper insulating strip and a lowerinsulating strip 22 (see also Figure 2) are .illustrated held in xedspaced relationship by means of insulating tubular spacers 24 throughwhich rivets 26 are passed. These rivets 26 as shown in this gure are ofmetal and are insulated with sleeves 24 and caps of insulating material;but instead of this the rivets themselves may be made of a malleablematerial, e. g., vulcanized ber, as is shown in Figures 6 and '7.Uninsulated metal fastenings can also be used where there is ondisadvantage from their conductivity. Strip 20 is covered by a thincover strip or facing sheet 30, and beneath strip 22,.as shown in Figure3, is a somewhat wider backing strip 28 (see also Figure 2). Strip 28 isprovided with openings to receive mounting screws 32 (see Figures 1 and2). Strips 20, v22, 20, and are notched, as at 34 to furnish guides forcutting any convenient length for a particular job from long, standardstrip connectors. These strips are also provided with coaxial plugreceiving holes 36 and pin receiving openings 38, forreasons which willbecome apparent hereafter.

Figure 4 presents a perspective view of one of to be exhaustive norv ofplug contact portions 42, a .pair of pn contact the electrical buses,generally indicated byv 40,

portions 44, and tabs 48 by which it held within the strips 20-22. Thesebuses are held between strips 20 and 22 with each'of the plug contactportions in alignment with a set of coaxial plug receiving holes 36 andwith each pin .contact portion 'in registration-with a Aset of pinreceiving openings 38, as illustratedln the plan view of Figure l. Acontact spring 48 (see Figure 5) isv located over the central portion ofeach bus, as

shown in Figure 2, to form therewith what may be termed a receptacleelen1ent,`s oV that when a plug 50 (see Figure 2) is inserted into oneof the openings 38, the contact portion of the plug is` heid in goodconducting engagement with a contact portion 42 ofthe bus by means ofcontact spring 48.

Figures 1- and 3 show the manner in which interconnecting pins 52 may beinserted into a strip to bridge the gaps between contact portions 44 ofadjacent buses A4|) to establish a series of plug receiving'outlets allin good conducting relationship with one another. By inserting theproper number of pins 52, the bus members 40 may be connected to form abus 'of any desired length and to give the desired number of plugreceiving holes which are in common conducting relationship with oneanother. By omitting a pin at any point, the bus connection is brokenand a new group of interconnected receptacles is thus begun. These pins52 may be simple pins of conducting material serving only -to connectadjacent receptacles or they maybe terminal connector plugs forconnecting additional circuits or bus wires into the system.

It will -be'noted that plugs 50 are held in conducting relationship-withthe buses by means of contact springs 46. These contact springs are madefrom a resilient alloy, such as a phosphorbronze, and the provision ofthese springs assures a good contact whenever a plug is inserted into anopening, even though the plugs may continually be inserted and withdrawnover an extensive period of time. The interconnecting pins 52, however,are held in interconnecting engage ment with adjacent buses primarilythrough-the inherent resilience of pin contact portions 44.

These buses are made from sheets 'of relatively tion. 'This strip diiersfrom the first embodiment described primarily in the conguration oiv thebus 40a, shown in Figure 9, and the contact spring 45a, shown in Figure10, whereby the contact spring of each receptacle element aids inmaintaining the bus contacts at 44a as well as the circuit contacts at42a. Each bus 40a is provided with tabs 48a which are-received inrecesses in strip 20a (see, Figuresy 6, 7, and 8) to hold the busesagainst lateral movement with respect to strips 20a and 22a. Other meansfor holding these members in position may be sub-y stituted, as will beevident to those skilled in this art. t

As many embodiments of the invention may be made and as variations inthe embodiments illustrated are easily possible, the invention is notintended to be limited to anything presented in the accompanyingspecification and drawing or as .setV forth by example but is intendedto be limited solely by the scope ,of the accompanying claims. i

I claim: l Y 1. An electrical conductor comprising an insulating body. abus of high conductivity metal,

said body surrounding said bus, said bus having `a plurality of contactfaces, and integral projec- 2. An electrical conductor comprising aninsu.

Llating body a plurality of connector units, said body surrounding saidunits, each unit having a plurality of contact faces, integralprojections of each unit connecting the unit and the insulating bodyclosely adjacent at least two of the contact faces so that those facesare ixed relative to the body, at least one face of each unit beingremote from the connecting projections oi' that unit and beingresiliently connected to the other faces of that unit by a bend, saidunits being arranged in closely spaced relationship with the remote faceof each unit in position to coact with a bridging connector bridging oneunit and another, said body having access apertures registering witheach of the faces of each of the units.

3. A continuous strip connector of the multiple plug type. saidconnector including a plurality of plug receiving receptacles eachadapted to accom- .modate a'. pair of conductors, whereby a series ofpairs of conductors may be plugged into the connector, each saidreceptacle lincluding a bus adapted to carry a high electric current anda contact spring for maintaining good electrical contact with the bus,each said bus being generally 8shaped in plan view with the upper andlower parts of the S each forming a plug contact portion, and each saidcontact spring being generally w-shaped in elevational view with thecentral part of the w straddling and embracing the central part ot the 8of the associated bus. whereby each outer part of the w is in positionto hold an inserted plug in good conducting relationship with theadjacent plug contact portion of the associated bus.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein each plug contact portion isextended to form a pin contact portion, whereby an interconnecting pinmay be used with the connector between adjacent receptacles Ato form, adirect short circuit between the buses thereof.

' 5. The invention of claim 3 wherein each plug contact portion isyextended to form a pin' contact portion and wherein clearance isprovided in the strip connector between adjacent receptacles, whereby aninterconnecting pin may be used with the connector between adjacentreceptacles to form a direct short circuit between the buses of theadjacent receptacles land wherein adjacent pairsoi' conductors may bemutually interconnected, or whereby without an interconnecting pin goodinsulating characteristics are maintained between the adjacentreceptacles, or whereby the connector may be severed between adjacentreceptacles to give self-sustaining connector strips for independentuse.

6. A continuous strip connector ofthe multiple plug type, said connectorincluding a plurality of pairs of plug receiving receptacles eachadapted to accommodate a pair of conductors, whereby a series of pairsof conductors may be plugged into the connector, each said pair ofreceptacles including a common bus adapted to carry a high electricvcurrent and a contact spring for maintaining good electrical contactwith the bus, each said bus being generally U-shaped in plan view witheach of the upper parts of the U curving arcuately outwardly and formingan individual plug contact portion, and each contact spring beinggenerally of an inverted -U--shape in plan view with each of the lowerparts of the inverted U curving arcuately inwardly, the associated busAand spring of each receptacle being assembled with` the legs of theinverted U of the spring straddling and embracing the ends of the legsof the U ofthe bus and with the inwardly curving parts of the springcooperating with the plug contact portions of the bus.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein' each. bus includes an extensionforming a short-circuiting pin contact portion. 4

` 8. The invention of claim 6 wherein each bus includes an extensionforming a short-circuiting pin contact portion and wherein a clearancespace is provided in the strip c'onnector between adjacent pairs oireceptacles.

VERNON E, CARLSON.

asFEaENcEs crrEp The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED sTA'rEs PATENTS 2,149,196 Surprenant ----.V Feb. 28, 1,939

